Cyril closed the conference room door.
Leo, Mingxi, and the others were all called inside by Andrew.
Gu Ning sighed in relief. ’I’ve finally gotten rid of them. Otherwise, who knows how long I would’ve been stuck dealing with them.’
She had pulled an all-nighter to write these documents and really needed to go home and catch up on sleep.
"I’ll walk you back."
Cyril turned and said to the young female before him, "Don’t worry. Leo may have a fiery and untamable temper, but he listens to the Admiral. He won’t hurt you."
Gu Ning nodded.
She had dealt with this "dog" a few times already. Seeing him act so rudely even toward Andrew, she figured his foul temper was probably the same with everyone.
’But I’ll still have to be on guard in the future...’
’Wait a minute.’
’Why does that husky’s name sound so familiar?’
"Don’t you have anything better to do?"
Barto’s voice interrupted her train of thought.
Cyril said, "You live nearby. It won’t take more than a few minutes."
Barto pulled Gu Ning’s hand. "We live so close, yet he’s so eager to walk you back."
Gu Ning patted Barto’s arm and shot him a look. ’Why does this little fox have to be so aggressive with everyone?’
She had a fairly good impression of Cyril. Plus, her job would require coordinating with him in the future. He was, in a way, her superior, so she couldn’t avoid interacting with him.
Barto pursed his lips. Seeing the dark circles under her eyes, he didn’t argue with Cyril any further. "Let’s go. Time to go back and sleep."
Gu Ning had been about to ask Cyril something, but with Barto’s interruption, she forgot what it was.
She was so drowsy right now that she couldn’t even think straight. ’I’ll just get some rest first,’ she decided.
She followed Barto downstairs. The steps were high, and, lost in her thoughts, she missed one—
As she pitched forward, Barto reacted in a flash and hoisted her up, while Cyril also reached out from behind and grabbed her by the collar.
"..."
Gu Ning’s feet dangled in the air as the two of them held her up. Her collar was uncomfortably tight around her neck, and she felt like she was suffocating.
Cyril quickly let go. "Miss Gu Ning, are you hurt?"
Gu Ning tugged at her collar. "...No."
Barto sighed, scooping Gu Ning into his arms and cradling her with one hand. "Go on, sleep. Look how tired you are. You can’t even walk straight."
Gu Ning smiled, wrapping her arms around Barto’s neck in reassurance and resting her chin on the little fox’s shoulder.
’It’s nice when the little fox is in his human form. If only his mutation value could stabilize, it would be even better.’
’Then again, the fluffy little fox is great too. As long as Barto is okay, his form doesn’t matter.’
Seeing how much the young female trusted this Mixed Breed fox, a thoughtful expression flickered in Cyril’s eyes.
*
When Gu Ning got back, she crashed the moment her head hit the pillow.
She hadn’t managed to bring Cook back, but she was relieved he was with the wolf pack. It was good for him to get along with them and even better if they accepted him. After all, they were his own kind.
Her current situation had also put her much more at ease, and she slept soundly and peacefully.
The next morning, Gu Ning slept until she woke naturally. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw the little dog’s big head right in front of her face.
Just like always, the little dog was staring at her with his big, dewy eyes, waiting quietly for her to wake up.
"Cook, you’re back," Gu Ning said, reaching a hand out from her warm blankets to rub his head.
Cook licked her hand and gave a few soft yips, nudging his head into her arms. His tail gave a few lazy wags.
Gu Ning noticed he wasn’t as clingy as before and seemed much more relaxed. ’He must have gotten along well with the wolf pack,’ she thought, ’and had a good time playing outside.’
’It’s just as I thought. Puppies need to burn off their energy. He can’t be cooped up at home with me all day, every day.’
"Cook, are Alex and the others done with their punishment?" Gu Ning whispered.
Cook couldn’t understand her words, but he recognized Alex’s name and seemed to guess what she was asking. He responded with a soft, "AWOO..."
Though he still didn’t like that wolf, he enjoyed playing with Seth, so his hostility toward Alex had faded somewhat.
He also had a vague sense that Ningning would probably be staying with Alex and the others for a long time. As long as Ningning was happy, it didn’t matter who she was with. He would always stay by her side.
Gu Ning sensed the change in Cook’s attitude toward Alex and smiled, ruffling the little dog’s head.
"What are you two whispering about?" Barto’s voice came from nearby.
A small head and a large one popped out from under the blankets at the same time.
Barto gave a faint smile and put down his pen. "If you’re up, I’ll go make breakfast."
Now fully rested and thinking of all the things she had to do, Gu Ning didn’t linger in bed. She climbed out and went to get washed up.
She looked at the little fox’s fluffy back, wondering when he had changed back. She remembered he had been in his human form before she fell asleep.
’It seems he still can’t maintain his human form for long periods,’ she thought.
Gu Ning yawned and glanced at the time. It was only eight o’clock. ’The little fox is up early today, huh?’
Her gaze shifted to the low table where he had just been sitting. Seeing papers scattered across it, she casually picked one up to look.
The little fox’s handwriting was rather messy; she could barely read it without using a terminal to scan and translate.
However, it was mostly numbers, and the other papers looked similar. It seemed like he was doing his accounts.
She remembered that the little fox still had his own shop back in Zone 19. He would probably have to settle its affairs before they left.
Gu Ning put the paper down and took the little dog with her to get ready.
After breakfast, Gu Ning and Barto sat across from each other, each occupied with their own tasks.
The little fox went back to his accounting, while Gu Ning fetched her shoulder bag. She took out a small, rectangular black box and placed it in front of him.
Barto stopped writing and looked up. "What’s this?"
Gu Ning replied, "My salary."
Barto opened the box. Inside lay four Inhibitors. The two Blue Gold Inhibitors in the center were especially brilliant.
Gu Ning rested her arms on the table, propping her chin on one hand as she watched the little fox with a grin.
She had meant to tell the little fox about this yesterday but had been too exhausted to stay awake.
"Your salary is this high?" Contrary to what Gu Ning had expected, Barto didn’t look happy. Instead, his expression was a little serious.
Gu Ning had told him yesterday that she was going to ask Andrew for a photography-related job.
He knew Andrew wouldn’t expose Gu Ning’s identity for the time being, and a job with the Military Department would be a good safety net for her future, so he had supported her decision.
But Andrew surely wouldn’t give her a high-ranking position right off the bat. He would at least wait until she understood the scope of the work; otherwise, it would do her more harm than good.
Gu Ning took out one Blue Gold Inhibitor. She pointed to the box. "This is my salary." Then she waggled the one in her hand at him. "And this is a subsidy."
Andrew had given her an advance on her salary. As for the extra Blue Gold Inhibitor, he had explained that according to Beast Alliance law, a female with a Mixed Breed in her household could receive a monthly subsidy, but only for one.
Thankfully, between her job and the subsidy, she would be able to get two Blue Gold Inhibitors every month—something that money couldn’t buy.
"A subsidy?" Barto asked. "What kind of subsidy?"